On The Road Side
by Hana1225
Summary: Kyoko Sasagawa was like a flower on the road side. Everyone could see her, but no one cared enough to stop for a while and appreciate its beauty. Rokudo Mukuro, however, didn't mind being the only one that did. 6995 with mentions of other pairings here and there. TYL setting.
1. Found

Title: On the road side

Summary: Kyoko Sasagawa was like a flower on the road side. Everyone could see her, but no one cared enough to stop for a while and appreciate its beauty. Rokudo Mukuro, however, didn't mind being the only one that did. 6995 with mentions of other pairings here and there. TYL setting.

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or any of its character.

AN: Uuuhm…For those who've read my fanfic "Smile, Smile", you could think of this chapter as the prequel, and the next chapter(s) as the sequel. *slapped* E-even so, you don't need to read the other fanfic first to understand this one. :)

Chapter 1 : Found

[One time I found a flower on the road side. Whoever planted it, no one wonder.]

That day was not the first time Rokudo Mukuro saw her.

A red haired woman was walking aimlessly, shying away from the crowd and kept walking on the road side. She carefully avoided a group of laughing teenagers, and staying away from flirting couples. Just from the way she walked, it was clear to him that she didn't want to be noticed. But he did anyway. Because he didn't care about how she felt.

That day was not the first time he saw Kyoko Sasagawa.

He did use her as a tool to threaten the Tenth Vongola's boss once, after all. But he wasn't interested in her. A tool was a tool, it had to be thrown after it served its purpose, otherwise they'd pile up after a while. He didn't even know what prompted him to look at her way that day.

It couldn't be the way she dressed, because she was dressed just like how she usually did. Was it the hair, then? No, it was still that same hair do, nothing special. It might be because she was the only familiar face in that place. It might also be the wind, forcing him to look her way for the sake of avoiding dusts flying into his eyes. It might also be something else, something completely different. Something like fate.

Not that he cared, thought.

And it definitely was not a caring gesture when he decided to follow her. Not because he cared for her enough to make sure she was safe. It was boredom that beckoned him to do so.

That day was not the first time he saw her.

Ever since Chrome stayed at the Sasagawa's place, he'd seen her for more times than he cared to. Every time he needed to see the eye-patched girl, he would run into the red-haired one instead. Still with the same smile, the same style, the same pretty face that slowly turned into that of an adult.

He once wondered why she was still alive. After all, her live was ruined ever since she was indirectly involved in the mafia business. In this hard world, what was her purpose? Even the man who once loved her, the man – that somehow Mukuro knew, through the gossips passing from this person and that person—who she once loved was gone, choosing to marry another woman within the next two days. What could be her reasons to stay in this messed up world?

This definitely was not the first time he saw her.

Mukuro stopped walking as he saw the girl stopping before a bunch of flowers. The petals were starting to wither, and the –probably once vibrant—color was dirtied by dust and smoke that it gained from the vehicles that passed on the road. Being surrounded by the equally dying bushes, it was almost pitiful, for those who cared.

Carefully hiding himself behind his own illusion, he watched as she bent down toward the plants that he didn't even realized exist before that day. He quirked an eyebrow as he saw her mouth opened and moved, and ended with a smile gracing her face. Mukuro was not an expert in reading someone's mouth movement. But he somehow knew what that was about.

"Stay strong," she whispered, "it's alright," she added, "surely, there're reasons for us to exist." She finished with a smile.

That act might be her way to calm herself, Mukuro thought. Because he could see it from her eyes, the look that surface on one's eyes only when they're troubled. He seriously didn't think he would be surprised if she committed suicide.

That day was not the first time Rokudo Mukuro saw Kyoko Sasagawa.

They were alike, Mukuro thought. Kyoko Sasagawa and that flower, he decided, were the same. Both were living, staying on the side, watching as the world spun. Both existed, trying to make the world better by simply being there. Both kept their silence as the world threw dusts and dirt their way. Both were trying to be strong in their own way, while fighting against the harsh wind in their own unique style.

Kyoko Sasagawa was like a flower on the road side. Everyone could see both her and that flower, but no one cared enough to stop for a while and appreciate their beauty. And both were pitiful, enough for him to keep watching over them.

That day was the first time he noticed her. The first time he noticed she existed.

That day was when he found her.

The woman started walking, leaving those flowers. No one saw, and no one cared. The man, however, didn't mind being the only one that did. He saw, and he started to care. Because he was not 'everyone else'. He was Rokudo Mukuro.

He was the one who found her.

His illusion dissolved, and he mingled with the other passerby. He walked faster, tailing the woman. His long feet made it easier to do and by the count of seconds he was already behind her.

"Kyoko Sasagawa," He called, making the woman a few steps away stopped in her track and turned to face him.

He didn't know what prompted him to look at her way that day. He didn't know what made him followed her. He also didn't know what he wanted to achieve by calling out for her.

And he didn't even care.

The woman turned to face him. A look of surprise was drawn on her face, taking over the clouded and gloomy expression that previously resided there . She waited for him to reach her, and smiled out of politeness. Mukuro knew she was wondering about what he possibly wanted from her. That knowledge somehow made the man smirked slightly.

"I found you, Kyoko Sasagawa." He said, his smirk widened as he detected the confusion on the woman's face. From gloomy, to surprised, and to confused. Mukuro found a new feeling akin to enjoyment as he continued looking at the different expressions that she showed him. His smirk fell as the woman started giggling.

"You're a weird person, Rokudo Mukuro-san." She replied, and he could see the trace of sadness in her eyes was covered quickly, expertly. "Well, you did, I guess." She continued and smiled brightly.

And as their walking pace somehow fell into a rhythm, he could only wonder if that day was also the day when she found him. But he didn't care enough to continue wondering about that.

They might've had found each other.

[How pitiful it is, I'll pick it up, before it wither.]

(*_*_*)

AN: Auuh….I started this before the latest chapter of KHR was out. And as happy as I could be from seeing both Kyoko and Haru on the colored cover, I was afraid that Tsuna would choose Kyoko, because then my hope for it to be 6995 would be crushed. ;A;

Btw, the word in […] was the translated version of an Indonesian song called "Bunga di tepi jalan (Flower on the road side)" by Sheila on 7, which I also didn't own.

Please do forgive the grammatical error, and the ooc-ness of the characters. Review, please? :3


	2. Pick

A.N: Uuuhm…what to say…oh, for those who've read "Smile, Smile" please think of this chapter as the same story as seen from Mukuro's POV, with some missing scene, and added dialogues. For those who haven't read the other story, don't worry. Since some of it is going to be included in this chapter. But I'd be pleased if you decided to read the other one. :D

Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira, and the lyric used here was a translated version of a song called Bunga di Tepi Jalan, belongs to Sheila on 7.

Simple Reminder: This is a fiction, that meant this is an obvious, arranged, sweetened pieces of lies. By continue reading, you agreed to be lied to. Please keep that in mind as I don't want you to call me a liar.

[Among the wild bushes and dried grasses, no one would pay it any attention]

"Congratulations, my cute little Chrome."

A familiar voice stated from behind the couple, startling both the bride and the groom.

"Oya? I guess I can no longer call you mine as you're married now, hmm?" Mukuro Rokudo raised an eyebrow, thought his other features stated he couldn't care less even if he said something that he shouldn't.

"W-well, technically not, but I guess it's okay." Tsuna was the first one to recover from the surprise, "You're like her father figure after all…" he continued, mumbling at the end of the sentence.

"Mukuro-sama, you came…" stated the blushing bride, completely awed by his appearance. "O-oh, and, thank you." She continued, smiling as she shyly glanced at her husband, who nervously laughed.

"Kufufufu…of course, did you think I would miss such an occasion?" he answered lightly, chuckling as he did so. "And how could I be her father, Tsunayoshi-kun?" he asked back, grabbing his beloved trident out of nowhere and pressed it against the groom's neck, seemingly offended at being called a father of a married woman. He didn't look that old, surely.

"After all," Mukuro continued as the married man carefully pushed the trident away, "it was the Sasagawa family that acted as Chrome's family, was it not?" he questioned in a tone that didn't really question anything.

Mukuro's eyes glinted in amusement as Tsuna stiffened ever so slightly as that name was mentioned.

"That's right, speaking of which, Kyoko-chan and Ryohei-nii-chan came earlier, and she said she wanted the first slice of cake, but I haven't seen them since then…" replied the purple haired one, her visible eye searching the area for one red headed woman, and maybe for a hint of white tuft of hair to come into sight.

"…right, I saw Onii-san walked with Kurokawa-san, as for Kyoko-chan…I could only guess she was here for the cake…" commented Tsuna, trying to crack a joke as he laughed awkwardly. Chrome laughed at his joke, lightly swatting his hands to reprimand him for making fun of the woman they were talking about.

Chrome was practically adopted by the Sasagawa family, a family that consisted of airheaded family members, ever since she started living with them. It actually irked Mukuro that Chrome looked up to the Sasagawa siblings as if they were her real older siblings, simply for fear that she would also turned into a somewhat blissfully ignorant person.

"Well, I should leave the two of you, then." He said, gesturing toward the invited guests waiting to congratulate the newlywed, as he turned and walked away.

Mukuro let his eyes darted around. Nope, he couldn't spot her. But he guessed she would still be here.

Oya, oya, there she was. He found her, again.

Kyoko Sasagawa was among the crowd today. Judging from the way she dodged the guests with practiced smiles and waves of hand, it was clear that she wished to be alone once again.

Mukuro chuckled as he watched one of the guests insisted to chat with her and offered her to eat something with them. He could see that she purposely chose the smallest piece of the offered food. She exchanged brief pleasantries and excused herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm on a diet, I'm afraid all the delicious food here will prompt me to break it." She reasoned, and as the women in that circle laughed, she followed suit.

She waved them good bye after exchanging doubtful promises to meet again some time in the future. The red head walked away, further from the crowd, and he could see her pace getting slightly faster by each step she took.

He won't let her go away that easily. Besides, he was bored. He reasoned to himself as he followed her discreetly.

She stopped at a place filled almost full with blooming white roses and he scrunched his nose as the scent invaded his sense. The roses were definitely planted as he could see the way they were arranged into rows. However, anyone who planted it must've given up on this place, seeing as some of them withered and not being picked up, leaving patch of decaying flowers here and there. What's with this woman and abandoned flowers, really?

Mukuro saw her brought her hand up to rub on her eyes and he chuckled. He must be an 'S' for getting satisfaction from seeing this woman crying. The amusement was wiped off from his face as he saw no trace of tears as Kyoko let her hands fell on her sides.

The illusionist notice how her legs moved backward hesitantly, and then brought her two steps forward. She continued to walk closer to the bunch of whites and flopped down onto the ground. She reached out her hand to touch the rose and he (almost) hoped for the woman to crush that thing in her little hand. But she disappointed him once again as she picked the flower and clutched it gently in her hands as if it was a precious, priceless gem that no one else should see.

Aaah…this pitiful thing…. Mukuro shook his head in disapproval. Such a liar, this woman was.

She was badly torn inside by her own conflicting feelings and yet she couldn't even cry for fear of bruising her pride also. He might have to help her today. But would he?

He guessed he would, for this special occasion only. Think of it as his own (twisted) way to celebrate his dear, dear Chrome's wedding.

"Oya, oya, what are you doing sitting in this place alone?" he started, announcing his presence toward the woman. Kyoko jumped and turned her head as he spoke, earning a half-hearted smirk from the man.

"Rokudo Mukuro-san," the woman greeted, nodding to acknowledge him with a smile less sincere than his.

"You can just call me Mukuro, Kyoko Sasagawa," he stated without even knowing why he cared what and how the woman before him called him.

"Please call me however you wish, then, Mukuro-san." She replied with a small smile.

There was silence after that and Mukuro could almost see what the girl was thinking. He was sure she was cursing him inside. For disturbing her peace, invading her personal space, or for even leaving Chrome that day, which result to the Sasagawa family taking her in…and to this day.

"If that's what you feel, why bother smiling? You should be crying right now." He said, walking toward her, and stopped a few feet away. Whatever it was that she felt, he was sure it was not happiness. Kyoko looked up at him, all the while smiling, then cocked her head to a side, imitating a child who didn't understand something

"Would you laugh and dance at someone's funeral, then, Mukuro-san?"

Aah…a reaction, finally.

Mukuro walked closer, only stopping once he was right behind the long haired woman. He bent down and whispered to her, startling the woman at their close proximity.

"I would," he said right at her ear, and straightened his back once again. "I would cry at seeing my enemy's happiness, and laugh when they died." He continued airily, as if that meant nothing to him. Oh, right, that meant nothing to him.

Her expression hardened at that, she shook her head and that expression was once again overtaken by another fake smile. She replied, "Both Chrome-chan and Tsu-kun are not my enemy, in case you haven't realized it, Mukuro-san."

'Oya, oya, bad girl. Who were you lying to?' he commented inside as he smiled at her.

Ten years spending their time in the same household must've forced her to tolerate what happened today. He sighed inwardly. Well, well, wasn't that why he decided to 'help' her, after all? Now, he could only wish there would be no distraction….

"Kyokoo! Where are you? They're having a photo session now, we have to get there extremely fast!" said a faint energetic voice that could only belong to the older Sasagawa, screaming from quite a distance.

Mukuro frowned and immediately tuned out that voice as Ryohei began to ramble about how the couple was going to cut the wedding cake and how she would get her promised first slice soon.

"Onii-chan is looking for me, please excuse me, Mukuro-san," she said as she stood, nodded toward the man and started to walk past him. It seemed like she was going to call her brother's name when Mukuro grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him.

'Oh, no, you don't' his mind supplied as he smirked at how the confusion and surprise was painted clearly on her face.

"You should look at your face," commented the blue haired illusionist, tapping Kyoko's face with one of his gloved finger lightly. He was sure Kyoko hated him for his rudeness, but she remained silent, making him chuckled in amusement. "Kufufu…since there's no mirror around, I'll be kind and describe it to you." He said in a low voice resembling a whisper.

"You're trembling and your cheeks are flushed, and," he paused, staring right into her eyes, "don't your eyes feel hot with tears?" The woman stayed silent and pressed her lips together, still holding their eye contact. "Kufufufufu….you're starting to cry, how cute…." She was not, but he was sure she would, soon.

He chuckled again, and then said in a whisper, "It seems like your brother is around…what would he say if he were to see you like this, on the verge of tears? Would he wreck the wedding party for you? Hmm…?"

It seemed like she finally noticed her brother's voice right behind her, and turned around only to see nothing.

"Kufufufu fufufu…" he laughed that irritating laugh of his, hand still holding onto her arm tightly. She tried to jerk her arm out of his hand, but her strength proved to be not enough.

"Don't worry, he wont be able to see us," he said, stifling a laugh as Kyoko's body trembled in rage and her face thoroughly colored with anger. The girl averted her eyes from Mukuro's face and noticed the gleaming indigo flame coming out from the ring on his gloved finger.

He was toying with her, and she didn't know to what extend he would continue to do so. The long haired woman bit her lips to prevent herself from screaming at him. It was at that time that Mukuro spun her around once again so her back was to him, and then all she could see was darkness.

Mukuro had created an illusion to cover the two of them from the rest of the world. And then he placed his right hand before her eyes, completely blocking her vision, giving her little privacy by not looking at her expression. Really, he was in a mood to be kind today, he guessed.

"…Mukuro-san?" Kyoko called for him, her voice shook as she tried to move the hand that was blocking her sight, "Mukuro-san, please let go…" she tried once again, clearly annoyed.

Mukuro shushed her by touching her lips with his gloved index finger, a gesture that would made a woman blushed if it were done by her favored people. The red haired woman bit that intruding finger without an ounce of hesitation, still fighting with the tears.

'Oya, oya, it seems like she hates me…' Mukuro commented dryly in his head. He shrugged it off, chuckling.

Really, he was being way too kind toward this woman.

"Kufufufu…did I make the little kitten mad?" teased the illusionist as he slipped his finger out of Kyoko's mouth easily, making her teeth clashing audibly against their counterpart in her mouth. Mukuro's eyebrow rose at that, it seemed like she was really determined to bit his finger off.

"It's okay," he said, using his left hand to hold hers, preventing any attempt to escape. "No one will see and I won't tell anyone," well, he truly won't, it would not benefit him in any way, after all. He might hold it against her or laugh at her later on, thought.

"You can cry now," he whispered to her. His voice held hints of amusement, but no, he won't laugh, at least not now.

A chocked sob came out and he felt her tears seeped in to his glove, dampening his palm that he used to cover her eyes. He let out a contented sigh. Took her long enough to do the simplest thing ever…. Well, at the very least she seemed to trust him more even if just a little.

He felt oddly pleased at that thought.

The hand that he held went lax and the fingers slowly opened. Mukuro could feel the soft brush of petals through his glove against his fingers.

'Oh, that flower that she picked earlier,' his mind helpfully supplied. From the crack between her fingers, a petal came out and dropped onto the ground. He didn't know why but he felt the need to cover that crack with his hand and keep the flower inside. And so he did, holding her hand tighter.

Mukuro couldn't remember, and didn't really care to remember, about when and why did they end up sitting on the ground. Saying nothing, simply sitting together, far enough to not let their shoulders bumped against one another, but close enough to allow their hands to stay connected.

And then she opened her mouth and spoke. With a voice cracked and dry from crying. She talked, about herself. Cursing her weakness that made today's groom to leave her. And he simply listened, waiting until she was done talking. He might be in the mood to be kind, but that didn't mean he would immediately turn into a pleasantly cheerful chatter box.

He could still feel the poor, squished, white rose in their hands. He retrieved the flower and made her turned to him in surprise at the way the soft petals moved against her palm. And for a moment, he allowed himself to wonder if she was surprised by how their hands were no longer joined.

"You know, I'm strong enough to keep you save," he said, standing up as he twirled the ruined flower in his hand, catching her attention. "Every damsel in distress needs a powerful knight to rescue them," he offered his other hand toward her, who eyed it suspiciously for a second, then looked back at his face.

"…what do you mean by that, Mukuro-san?" she asked, obviously doubting his intention.

"For today only, I'll be your knight." He said, bending down to take her hand and forcefully (but oddly gently at the same time) make her stood, "Put on your best illusion, smile and don't let them see your crying face."

He didn't need to name anyone, both of them somehow knew who he was referring to.

"…and if that illusion were to be destroyed?" she asked him, with a hint of smile on her face, looking somewhat amused.

He replied with another smile, the most annoying one that he could muster.

"I'll cover it with mine." He finished as they let go of each other's hand.

As they walked back, Mukuro brought the rose in his hand up and inspected it closely. It was squished, and felt slightly damp from sweat that accumulated from their joined hands. Some of its petals fell, but most of them were still intact. Proudly staying together as he shook the flower lightly, testing. It didn't look too bad….

He put that flower on his suit, earning for himself a raised eyebrow and a confused look from Kyoko.

"What? Do you think it doesn't suit me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow back at her. The woman shook her head slightly.

"Well…don't you think you'd need to use your magic to make it appear more beautiful? I mean, it's kind of squished…" she reasoned, looking at the flower.

Oya? Magic? Amusing. Ah, well, if she so wished for it, he could be both a knight and a magician for today, he decided.

"Well…" he began, noticing that she also wished for an answer, "Do you need some make up to make you appear prettier? Or would you rather I use my 'magic' to do it for you?" he finished with a smirk.

She furrowed her eyebrow, and gritted her teeth. She once promised herself that she would be calm no matter what. She decided she would not easily hit someone, no matter how much they angered her.

That was the first time Kyoko let her hand loose for the day.

That was the first time Mukuro let a woman slapped his face. And he kind of regretted it. No one told him it would sting.

He didn't use his illusion for his (yes, it's now his) flower, and she didn't apply any make up that day. He knew Kyoko noticed what he implied right after she slapped him, judging from the blush that came onto her face. She said nothing and neither did he.

Both were perfect in their own imperfect way. Both Kyoko Sasagawa and that flower of his.

AN: Hamuuuu… I should stop here, this chapter was getting even longer than "Smile, Smile". Comparing the two series, I found this one to be more detailed, and am quite satisfied at myself. Oh, I forgot who got to keep the Vongola mist ring, Chrome or Mukuro? Anyway, if it was Chrome, to save my face, I'd say it's one of those other rings created in the future that he used. And no, it's not finished, I guess.

I re-read it twice, b-but please do forgive me if there were some errors left unnoticed by my untrained eyes. Umuuu…review? OwO/


	3. Wonder

AN: Thank you very much for your continuous support! Uuuhm…well, enjoy? :Da

Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira, and the lyric used here was a translated version of a song called Bunga di Tepi Jalan, performed by Sheila on 7 and is definitely not my possession.

Simple Reminder: This is a fiction, that meant this is an obvious, arranged, sweetened pieces of lies. By continue reading, you agreed to be lied to. Please keep that in mind as I don't want you to call me a liar.

Warning: As we all know that I'm not Amano Akira, there's no way I'd be able to make the characters completely IC, however, I'll try to not make them too OOC as well. Your comments about their behavior here would help to improve things.

(*_*_*)

Rokudo Mukuro was bored.

Chrome was gone with her husband, away for their long awaited honeymoon abroad. Gone was his chance to prank them, away to some so called "romantic places" somewhere in the world. M.M was off, dragging both Ken and Chikusa with her, doing something that obviously had something to do with earning money. Even that bratty apprentice of his blocked all of his call and left him a voice message, saying nonsensical things about not wanting to be stalked by an older man. He'd be sure to punish him later on.

To put it in simpler way, he was left alone.

And while it did him good by providing some time for himself. It was, without a doubt, boring.

His feet brought him to places. To a park full of loud children who played and generally annoyed anyone else, to secluded places full of annoying lovers who pretend like they're the only ones living in the world, and to a bustling street where various shops lined up and people walked by. None of those places could entertain him, thought. He lazily walked ahead, paying little attention toward the scenery as the path he chose took him to those roads which had colourful flowers lining their side.

Oya, oya…

That reminded him of his withered flower. The white rose didn't last for more than three days, and even before that, it was left forgotten on the desk in his room.

Truthfully he didn't understand why flowers existed. They're pretty, sure, but they're pretty much useless. You couldn't eat most of them, and even if you gathered a bunch of them and throw them toward someone, nothing would happen, unless that person got some kind of allergies against those pretty little thing (now, that reminded him of something amusing). They multiplied, blossomed, and withered, soon to die and forgotten by the world. You only got to watch them, and forgot all about them the next day.

Aaah…right, that reminded him of something else. He chuckled at his own thought.

That flower-like woman. Now, Sasagawa Kyoko, was it? Someday, she'd surely wither, right? He might as well enjoy looking at her for now.

(*_*_*)

Sasagawa Kyoko's private time was interrupted by a ring of her doorbell. She hurriedly put down the novel she was reading and walked out of her room. She almost slipped on the floor but quickly regained her balance, huffing angrily at her own carelessness (and to whomever was ringing the bell beyond her door).

"Yes?" she immediately asked as she opened the door.

Ever since she was nothing but a little girl, her family always reminded her to not open the door without checking who it was on the other side of the door. She would nod and smile, and then somehow managed to forget about that when the time came.

And now she regretted not checking first.

"Oya, oya, are you not happy seeing me, Sasagawa Kyoko?"

She was tempted to close the door and pretended no one was there, remaining as a blissfully ignorant person she was. Maybe, just maybe, that if she concentrated hard enough, he'd disappear somewhere.

Manner, Kyoko, manner, where's yours? She silently chided herself as she forced a smile toward the man standing before her.

"Hello, Rokudo Mukuro-san." She greeted him, purposely avoiding his question and let it vanished into air. The man chuckled and she was reminded about how pissed she had been at that way of chuckling. Oh, wait, it still pissed her up till this day. "To what do I owe this meeting?" she questioned, not moving from her place on the doorway, hand still on the doorknob, just in case.

"Kufufufu…straight to business, are we? Am I not allowed to visit an…ah, acquaintance?" he walked toward her, smiling, holding the door with one hand. Kyoko let her hand drop to her side, there would be no use holding onto it now.

She smiled back at him, carefully predicting what was in his mind, and thinking up a way to anticipate his next move.

"No need to be so scared, I'm simply in the mood to be with you, Sasagawa Kyoko." He stated simply, and it actually irritated her how she had to look up and hurting her neck just to be able to talk with him. She was not that short, he was just that tall, she reasoned.

"….that, and I think you're in a mood where you need some cheering up." He added, laughing mockingly at her. "What's with being left alone while the others were away in some place, together." He finished with a lopsided grin.

Kyoko's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. This person was here to make fun of her, she knew that. But he helped her that day, in a way. Her mind kindly supplied. And so she smiled wider.

"Thank you for your concern, Mukuro-san. However, I'm perfectly fine." She replied, and then carefully added. "I was going to spend some time with Haru-chan, thought…." She paused and saw his eyebrow rose up slightly. "You're welcome to join us if you have nothing planned…" she continued, making sure to smile even sweeter.

'And if you have no one to spend your time with, of course.' Those words were left unsaid. Oh, was that a frown she saw on his face? She let the meaning hanging heavily on the atmosphere as she giggled cheerfully at the lack of response.

"Really? Because the last time I checked, that friend of yours was together with her man." He replied, smirking. "Are you sure you won't only be the third wheel? Better yet, are you sure you're supposed to be with her?" he striked back, smiling, looking almost like a happy child.

"Huh?" she was taken aback by his answer. It was when he started laughing in that annoying way that she realized he was bluffing. However what was done was done. A single unintelligent syllable from her confirmed that she was lying, and that he saw through her.

"A bluff, Mukuro-san?"

"A lie, Kyoko-san?" he replied mockingly, and she laughed at his attempt of copying her, albeit still quite annoyed. "So, if you're done with that, how about we take a walk?" he asked, looking all high and mighty all the while. "Unless, of course, you wanted us to continue with the meaningless talk?" he continued with a shrug of his shoulders, signaling that he didn't really care about what her answer might be.

Kyoko was silent as she pondered her answer.

She didn't know what prompted her to nod. Or what kind of mysterious force was telling her to agreed to the sudden invitation (she really needed to think up a solid reason, when Haru asked her later, thought). But she did anyway, regardless of the reasoning, and she found herself to not care as much as she should.

"Let me get my jacket first," she finally said, smiling a more sincere smile at him.

"You might want to fix that pretty face while you're on it."

Kyoko turned around and closed the door right before his face, and walked to her room in a furious stride. She'd save regretting for later, she decided.

On the other side of the closed door, Mukuro smiled.

Yes, it's only right that she would agree to what he said. He thought.

He was the one who found her, after all. And it's only right for him to be the one to pick her up. A withering flower on the verge of being thrown away had no right to choose who would get to pick it, anyway.

(*_*_*AN*_*_*)

AN: I'm sorry for being lazy, I'm sorry for the lack of update, I really am. Ah, and , sorry for the grammatical error, I tried to check it, really. ;A;  
Auuh….please look forward for the next chapter as well~

To Andrea chan08: I'm so sorry for not replying your review! Uuuhm…if you don't mind, can you give me your email address? I would like to reply directly. B-but, it's okay like this, too….Thank you for reading and reviewing, also, I'm happy that you like MukuroxKyoko pairing~ X3


	4. Game

AN: Auuh….For those who wished for a serious story, I'm sorry I ruined it. And for those who waited, I'm sorry for not being diligent enough, and thank you for being so patient. (;w;)

Oh, and about Mukuro's figure of speech, I realized he's being out of character…almost like a gentleman character from an old novel, but please think of it as his way to mock Kyoko's polite behavior. :9

Simple Reminder: The story that I made are fiction, they're in no way related to the real world. Meaning it was a pure, arranged, sweetened lie. If there were similarities, it was pure coincidence. By continue reading, you are giving me your consent to continue being lied upon, and that I hold no responsibility for this. Lying is bad, so could you swear that you dont mind being lied upon by me, of all people? Is that ok?

Disclaimer: KHR and its characters belong to Amano Akira.

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Chapter 4: Game

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In the distant future, if she was asked why she was willing to go on a walk with Rokudo Mukuro, Sasagawa Kyoko would, without a doubt, shrug and said that she didn't even know why. She just did.

She was interested in him, she guessed. She couldn't figure out why he asked her of all people. He looked like the kind that wouldn't mind anyone, and if she were to be honest, the man was certainly easy on the eyes. Surely, even if he was to pick a random girl off the street, it'd be easy.

So why?

She lifted her head to look at the person walking a step ahead. She wanted to see his face. People tended to change their facial expressions, but so far annoying and irritating ones were what she got from him. How about his eyes, then? Would those beautiful heterochromatic eyes gave away his thoughts? She pondered as she walked faster, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression. It seemed like Mukuro noticed and purposely walked faster, she could almost hear his smirk as she was left behind once again.

Where were they heading to? She was curious. But knowing the man, from their few meetings, she guessed he would take her everywhere, but nowhere in particular, just to tire and annoy her. Yes, that sounded about right, Kyoko decided.

"Do you have somewhere in mind, Mukuro-san?" she asked him, trying to start a conversation. The man turned at her and smirked.

"You decide, Sasagawa Kyoko."

An order.

While it might seemed like he was giving her freedom to choose, this man actually was trying to entertain himself by watching her attempts to please him. Adding the fact that she was raised to be a wise, loyal wife who ought to obey her husband, being told to choose sometimes annoyed her.

Aaah…it seemed like she's getting used to him. She could easily understand the face he was making. That's the face that said, "Amuse me."

"Then, would it be alright if we stop somewhere? There are things that I need to buy, actually." She answered with as she broadened her steps and started walking ahead of the illusionist. "Do you mind?" she asked with a smile as she turned her head toward him.

How about that? Guys hate accompanying girls shopping, right? He surely would make some kind of excuse to not go with her.

Kyoko inwardly cheered when she detected the slight scowl on his face. Ah, it seemed like he knew what she was thinking, because he immediately grinned.

"Sure, do lead the way." He answered, shrugging. She just had to comply to his demand, right?

Understood. She nodded toward him and slowed down to wait for him to walk beside her.

Rokudo Mukuro was unable to understand himself. He was a man of control, so why did he let this woman led him around? Ah, but he was curious about so many things. How would she react? What would she do? Where would she take him? He wanted to know and for him that was enough as a reason. The man glanced at his current companion, calculating.

What would she buy? From his own experiences, girly girls tend to buy cute things to impress the guy she was with. So, would she buy dolls? Shoes? Clothes? Perfume? But it seemed like the woman was set on surprising him, so she most likely would buy things that's the opposite of cute. Boxing gloves, maybe? Or dumbbells? But she was not strong physically to be able to bring those home, so maybe if she really did buy those she would ask him to carry them by saying they were for her brother…

Oya, oya, he really should stop guessing. Or else it would no longer be fun to watch her.

As they walked in silence, both pondered about many things, but mainly about each other. Neither noticed when this game of surprise started, nor what kind of condition should be fulfilled to determine the winner. Both forgot since when did being in each other's presence become so fun. They just played along naturally, as if it was an activity that both partake in everyday.

The people around them whispered as they passed. It seemed like they've caught the passerby's attentions. The illusionist ignored the wandering females as they giggled at his sight in favor of watching the woman that had gathered the male population's glances on her features.

He was not blind in any way and he noticed that the woman was not that bad, pretty even. Did she plan to let herself got hit on by a stranger and left him hanging around by himself? But she didn't dress up, so that was unlikely the case. So why did she choose to go to this shopping district? Earlier he offered to accompany her to a department store and she immediately refused. He was interested, you might as well say that he was excited, for that mean she had things planned.

"Where do you plan to shop?" he finally asked, making the woman turned to him and successfully made her watchers clicked their tongue distastefully at how easily he spoke to her.

"We're almost there, I know of a nice place a little over there." She answered, all polite and calm.

They already passed a blindingly pink colored accessories shop, a luxurious café full of annoying lovers, a crowded bakery, a toy shop with humongous dolls on display, and a sport shop filled full of things that the older Sasagawa sibling surely would drool at the sight. But the woman simply glanced and passed them. As they walked, he noticed the crowd's range of age changed. From loud teenagers, to elderly man and woman, and he raised an eyebrow and quickly turned to Kyoko, who happily hummed an unfamiliar tune.

And the smell. He felt foolish to not notice this earlier. From the sweet fragrance of perfume mixed with sweat, to a mix of sweat and something else that was awfully familiar but unable to put his mind on.

"A market?" was all he could ask at the moment.

"Hmm? Yes, I'm glad they're still open at this hour. It'd take too long to go to a supermarket." She answered cheerily as she stopped humming, making her way to a fish vendor.

"Shopping?" an eyebrow was raised as he asked this time.

"Grocery shopping, yes. I was going to shop after we finished taking a walk, but thank you for accompanying me. It's my turn to make dinner." She said, smiling at him as the seller made his way to greet her. "I miss the taste of salted fish, but Onii-chan prefers fresh fish, so I'm torn here. What do you think?"

She won. Mukuro didn't know what she won, but it just felt like he lost. And it seemed like she felt that way too, judging from the smirk that slyly found its way to her face as the seller was busy listing the price for her.

But he wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Sasagawa Kyoko," he called, and the woman turned her head, pausing from choosing the fish, "be my wife."

Kyoko's mouth went wide, her eyes unfocused and a blush immediately found its way to her cheeks. Mukuro appreciated the change of expression, and he was satisfied. Judging from the way they interact earlier that day, he knew she was going to dismiss his proposal as a joke. And it really was that, a joke.

It was an awful joke and she was forced to accept that mock proposal. He was sure of that. Come on, a young, good looking man was accompanying a woman to buy groceries, surely that was the definition of an ideal husband, no?

If she accepted him here, he wondered if she would continue behaving as his future wife for the sake of continuing with their childish game. If she rejected him, they would both feel embarrassed, and she would forever be brandished as an ungrateful woman who rejected a nice gentleman by the people in that market. Oh, he could hear some of the younger ones whistling, the ladies giggling at their little display of affection, and the men laughing and started telling their own proposal stories.

Sasagawa Kyoko remained silent, even thought her mouth was continuing to open and close. It seemed like she blanked out. Rokudo Mukuro was sure of that, and he –amazingly- patiently waited for her answer as he calculated what's inside her mind.

Sasagawa Kyoko, a 24 years old normal woman, a student in a normal college, currently single, was at a loss. She was proposed for the first time in her life a few days after her ex's marriage, by the relative of her ex's wife. And as if that was not enough, she was proposed in an evening market. With a salted fish held in her right hand, and a wriggling fresh fish in her left. It was a miracle she didn't drop them already.

(tbc maybe)

((omake))

She won. Mukuro didn't know what she won, but it just felt like he lost. And it seemed like she felt that way too, judging from the smirk that slyly found its way to her face as the seller was busy listing the price for her.

But he wouldn't go down without a fight. He immediately turned toward the vegetable vendor nearby and grabbed a handful of cauliflower. He then kneeled down beside the red haired woman, making not only the woman, but everyone present to turned and stare at him.

"Sasagawa Kyoko!" he declared, making the aforementioned woman to take a step backward. "Would you marry me?" he asked, thrusting the make shift bouquet of cauliflower toward the woman. He then grabbed Kyoko's hand and brought it to his lips. And if that seemed romantic, everyone might need to be reminded that she was choosing fishes using the very same hand.

"O-oh, of course, Mukuro-san, if it's you…uh, sorry I forgot the next line, you caught me by surprise...I think we should practice our lines later, so let's get this done quickly and practice at home? It would be bad if we mess up on the stage." She answered after a pause, apologizing to the people nearby for surprising them.

Mukuro frowned as the people around immediately dismissed their action as a drama practice. Smooth move, Sasagawa, very smooth…and he was not happy.

((Author Note))

I should stop ruining characters…I'm sorry, they were not supposed to be in a market, and he was supposed to propose in a café, but then the more I tried to develop the story, the gloomier it became and…uuh…maybe I would write the alternative someday…please bear with it…. OwO;

May grammatical errors be forgiven…

Andrea_chan08: you might want to write your address this way meineliebe (underscore) makubex , because it seems like the site deleted the address. I'm not a Christian, but I appreciate the sentiment. Have a nice day. :3


	5. Path

AN: Umumumu….I don't know, I don't know what I was typing…I don't know how to continue this…sorry…. Also, for making you guys wait, sorry…but believe me when I said this story was my priority, about two of my other works hadn't been updated for God knows how long… |||orz

(*_*_*)

It was, in a word, chaotic.

Sasagawa Kyoko was suddenly unable to do anything. She was unable to think of a witty answer to that sudden proposal. Granted, it was no more than Rokudo Mukuro's sick idea of a joke. It was still shocking. That was low of him to pull this move. She couldn't refuse and she realized he already thought about that beforehand.

"Well?" urged Mukuro, who was faking a blush and acted awkwardly at the moment.

…how about "Eww"…? The dark thing that resided in Kyoko's mind supplied helpfully. The red haired woman could hear people around them swooning and boldly stopped their activity to watch the two. Kyoko glanced at the forming crowd, and then to Mukuro, who let his act fell for a moment to show her that annoying smirk of his, and then quickly changed it back to a worried frown. Smooth, very smooth, she actually praised him in her mind. That didn't mean she gave up on this game, thought. She carefully placed the fishes on their place and carefully took a handkerchief from her pocket as to not dirty her clothes.

"I…I'm sorry," she began as she wiped her hands clean, and some people began to clicked their tongue in distaste. She glanced at the man before her and her eyes instantly narrowed. He actually put on a sad, kicked-puppy mask, making her looked all the worse.

Kyoko inhaled slowly and added.

"What I mean is…I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner. Had I knew, I wouldn't take you to this place," she said, a hand went inside her pocket and pulled out her phone cell. "So…so please let me make it right for you." She finished, blushing as she operated the gadget. Embarrassing as it is, she didn't have any intention to go down without a fight.

Mukuro raised an eyebrow and for a second his mask slipped. He then quickly resumed his act and watched the woman, preparing himself for whatever she'd do.

"Okaa-san?" she called to the phone and Mukuro froze. The red haired woman was silent as she took in as much air as possible and said, very clearly,

"This is sudden, but someone proposed to me just now and I'm thinking of accepting it." She finished, looking at him straight to his eyes, challenging him to call off their game.

This was not what he expected. He expected her to froze and then turned into a blabbering blushing mess, and then, and then he would solve this problem by dragging her out of this place and it'd be his win.

Kyoko extended her arm to full length, motioning for the man to take her phone.

"My mother would like to talk to you." She said with a glare that was betrayed by her own blushing face.

He lost. Or so it seemed. He didn't want to lose, he loathe being the loser. However there was something that was not hate in his gut. He unconsciously smiled, startling the woman before him as he grabbed her phone.

That, and he was sure that woman was bluffing.

"Good evening, Ma'am, this is Rokudo Mukuro and I wish to marry your daughter." Said Mukuro immediately, sending a smirk to the phone's owner. It was Kyoko's turn to freeze. The answer transferred by the device was obviously a gasp and incoherent babble and he smirked, eyes still not leaving Kyoko's face.

"Ah? Yes, yes, I'd be happy to…. Yes, thank you." He responded to whatever was said to him enthusiastically, it almost looked as if he truly was happy about the prospect of marrying her and Kyoko couldn't help to blush, but quickly shoved that thought away.

"My future mother in law said she'd like to meet me tonight, and that you're free from cooking duty." He said as he disconnected the call and handed the phone back to its owner.

Kyoko didn't react for a few seconds, but then she forced out a smile and accepted the phone. That's when Mukuro ever so smoothly grabbed her hand and let out a big, cheerful smile that was obviously fake.

"Well, then. Thank you for accepting me." He started, "Let's go?" he asked, tugging slightly the hand that he held, signaling for the woman to start moving.

Kyoko was about to reply when the fish vendor suddenly shouted at them to wait. Everyone present immediately turned their head to look at him just in time as he put the fishes that were in Kyoko's hands a while ago in separated bags and handed them to he pair.

"Here you go! As a celebration for your marriage, these are free!" he exclaimed, grinning widely and all the spectators went 'ooh….' and 'aaww….' Kyoko was going to protest that no, they were not married (yet) when the man continue, and it's common courtesy to let your elder speak first.

"Having a young couple proposing before my goods surely would bring good luck! It's so nice to see that not all youngsters prefer indecent cohabiting instead of getting married right away!" he said, laughing as he forced the bags in Mukuro's free hand. He then patted Mukuro's shoulder and grinned at him. "Best wishes for you guys! If you ever have a special family occasion, remember to come to my place!" he finished, laughing as he walked back to his place, leaving the pair frozen on spot, until Mukuro found his sense back and lead them both away.

It's weird. Truly it was. As the crowd giggled, both felt something bubbling inside them. Somehow, both of them knew the other also felt the same. Or maybe they secretly wished the other would.

It was after a good half an hour after they left the market that both released their joined hands. Mukuro then handed her the fishes and let out a sigh. Kyoko picked that up and glanced at him, her eyes studying him.

"Yes?" he asked, noticing her stare a while ago.

"Mukuro-san is a good liar. Don't you feel guilty after deceiving them?" she asked, even thought she was also partially to blame, she was curious about what his opinion about their little act.

"And you're better than expected, Wife." He replied, throwing her a glance as he started walking ahead, now no longer needing to control his pace to match hers. From the corner of his eyes he could she her fumbling with her words as a blush came to decorate her face. "I bet you'd be busy explaining things to your friend tonight, hmm?" he commented with a slight cheer in his voice.

"Yes…and thanks to you I might not be able to buy things over there anymore…." She sighed as she tried to construct her tale to answer Haru's questions because surely the short haired woman would call her later. "It'd be awkward if people asked about the where about of my husband the next time I shop…"

Wouldn't you, when your best friend called you their mother, and when the aforementioned best friend said they were going to marry someone that you doubted ever seen with that best friend?

"You got freebies," answered Mukuro, jerking his head to the direction of the bags that were now in Kyoko's possession, "and I also helped warding off nasty bugs that might come to you." He finished airily, waving his hand at the mention of bugs.

"….as much as I want to thank you, all you did was driving off my potential husbands and making it impossible for me to marry at the right age….or maybe at all…."

"Yeah? Anyway, it was fun, but I have to go." He said, turning to face her and smirked. "Don't miss me too much, Wife." He had his fun, and somehow he felt satisfied with the way that word rolled upon his tongue, but he wouldn't say that. Before the startled Kyoko could finished her protest about the new way he called her, he surrounded himself in his illusion and vanished right before her eyes.

Sasagawa Kyoko sighed as she walked alone and she was not sure what brought that up. She couldn't very well differentiate between relief and disappointment when dealing with that man. And that's alright. Their time together was up, the man was gone and they'd continue with their separated ways. Their meeting was random and who could guarantee that their separation wouldn't be so random? It's alright.

It's alright.

It's alright.

'I'm alright.' They thought to themselves as the evening wind picked up everything on its path.

Of course, why wouldn't they be? They didn't know each other for long. And if memory served right they hadn't even talked before. Even if they accumulated their meeting times, it would still be under 24 hours. It was only a drop of water in a bucket.

But it was so fun.

'I'm alright.'

That was a lie. And both closed their hearts as they continued walking with their parade of lies.

((Author Note))

Uhuhuhu…. I had fun reading romance mangas lately so I decided to make this piece a bit more romantic…did I succeed? Are you guys satisfied with this chapter? :D

No? Well…. ;A;

What if I say this piece is….

TBC….

…. maybe?

JK

But really, don't get your hope up too high, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to update things as fast as when I was in junior high….umuuu…growing up is such a pain… ;-; *rolls*  
Please forgive the grammatical and spelling mistakes, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next time, and..uuhm… I'd be pleased to see a bunch of 6995 fanfictions the next time I update anything. :D


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